Transparent sign



may s, 1923. N 1,454,563

l F. c. ROBERTS TRANSPARENT S IGN Filed Sept. 25 ,Y 1922 Y '351g y] invention;

Patented May s, 19.23.-

'FERDINAND c. ROBERTS, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRANSPARENT SIGN.

'Application filed September 25, 1922. Serial No. 590,482.

T o ZZ whom. t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FERDINAND C. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain newland useful Improvements in Transparent Signs, of which the followingis a specification. reference being had thereln to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a transparent 0r translucent sheet of glass or other material having similar properties of a structure s uch that on viewing the glass from the front thereof, a certain word or othery symbol is visible when the device is illuminated from the front only, and another word Sor symbol upon the rear surface of the glass is visible when the device is illuminated from the rear.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device suitable for use in an `automobile signal which normally by reflected light displays a word such as the name of the city or the make of the-.car and by transmitted light displays a signal-such as Stop,

Slow, Right, Left, or any other dei sired Word or symbol.

In the drawing, l Figure l is a perspective view showing the application of my device to a popular form of rear end automobile signal; I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a sheet'rof material constructed in accordance with my Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line III-III of Fig. 2, and

, Fig. 4 is al rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a sheet of glass l is molded with raised letters 2 upon its front surface and raised letters 3 upon its rear5surface. The glass l will'preferably be of a red color when used as a stop signal, though obviously the glass may be clear or of any other, color than red that may be desired in any particular instance. Upon Athe front surface of the raised letters 2 there is applied a coating 4 preferably of ak white material capable of fusing and uniting with the material of the glass upon being heated to a sufficient temperature. may conveniently be applied by passing a roller 'coatedWith the proper materialparallelrwiith the body ofthe glass so as to come in contact only with the members of'the This materialv outer face of the raised letters. The raised v letters: 3 of the rear surface of the glass preferably have their faces provided with serrations formed therein when the glass is molded, the serrations preferably being arranged vertically in the letters at each end of the word and larranged diagonally in the intermediate letters, the diagonal serrations sloping downward away from the central line of the plate as shown most'cl'carly in Fig. 4; The entire surface'of the rear of the glass surrounding the raised letters is preferably covered with some dark material capable when fused 0f uniting with thesurfaoe of the glass and preferably being substantially opaque. The serrated faces of the raised letters are left clear. After being coated as described, u'pon ,opposite sides.7 the glass is set within a kiln` and lthe temperature is 'raised to a point at ,which the material 4 upon the surface of the raised letters 2 and the opaque material 5 surrounding the raised letters 3 on the rear surface of the plate l become fused and permanently secured to the g ass.

Wfhen a piece of glass so prepared is placed within a casing `such as that shown at 6 in Fig. l'with an electric lamp at the re'ar'of` the glass, the plate as seen by reflected light /appears `dark with the raised letters 2 appearing white against the dark background. The white material 4 upon the surface of the 'letters 2 is preferably translucent so that when the lamp within the casing 6 is lighted the letters 3 upon the rear of the glass appear as red lagainst the dark background, the red light being visible through the translucent white material 4 upon the raised letters 2.-

By arranging the serrations as described, upon the raised letters 3 upon the rear of the glass, the light from the lamp within the casing 6 will be reflected to the right and left by the vertical serrations more strongly than by the diagonal serrations, so that ifthe sign is viewed from an angle at one side or the other, the letters will appear bright because of the' serrations and more uniform in brightness than if the serrations were all diagonal.

While the letters upon the front and rear Claimed bioadly Within izhe vaioi and iegitimate scope of the appended claims.

claim:

l. A sign comprising a sheet of transiuent material having a design formed in ieief upon the fiomJ face, the portion in relief differing in color from its sui'ounding portion by ieieeted light, he shee' having a design in reiie on its Tear aee the portion in relief being transucent and the surrounding portion being opaque whereby the design in reiief upon the fear face is Visible fiom he on', when iiluminateoi xom the rear.

A stiiioiine as in daim l in which the design in re'ie is provided with seiiations,y

'the serra-emes being subsanialy vertica at poins rer-noise from the eenfei' and lying ai; an angie owne/fard away from the center line ier A "gnie-ns of the design adjacent to fle centen n 4eesfeimony whereof affix my signature in presence of We Witnesses.

fr animi@ e. EGBERTS- 

